East Stroudsburg North teacher charged in cocaine ring requests hearing

Friday

Mar 1, 2013 at 9:44 AMMar 1, 2013 at 9:50 AM

An East Stroudsburg North physical education teacher has requested preliminary hearing for his alleged part in a Wayne County cocaine ring.

Steve McConnell

An East Stroudsburg North physical education teacher has requested preliminary hearing for his alleged part in a Wayne County cocaine ring.

A hearing date has not been set for John “Jack” Waibel, 34, Carbondale. Waibel was recognized last spring when he helped to pull a car off a man who was involved in a crash on Bushkill Falls Road.

Waibel is on suspension from his job, East Stroudsburg Superintendent Sharon Laverdure said last week.

Last week, the owner of a golf course accused of selling cocaine out of his home on the Wayne County links, his supplier who brought the drug in from New York City and others charged in connection with a far-reaching state narcotics investigation last week are winding their way through the court system.

On Wednesday in Wayne County Central Court in Honesdale, Magisterial District Judge Jane Farrell presided over what amounted to a procedural affair as to whether the 20 defendants charged in connection with a cocaine ring centered at Red Maples Golf Course wanted the opportunity for a preliminary hearing before the charges are bound over to county court.

The owner of the South Canaan Township golf course, Angelo Pozza, 76, and the woman who state investigators said supplied him with the cocaine, Catherine Gabriel, 47, of Scott Township, both asked for continuances, meaning they had yet to decide Wednesday if they wanted preliminary hearings, Deputy Attorney General Timothy Doherty said.

Red Maples served as the hub of a trafficking ring that moved more than $1.4 million worth of cocaine from New York City into the hands of area residents, investigators said.

The drug was brought to the golf course by Gabriel, who trafficked an estimated 15,000 grams from the Bronx, investigators said.

According to court papers, Pozza identified Jeffrey Katchmore, 37, of Carbondale, as one of his customers and said that between 2011 and March 2012, Katchmore bought a half gram of cocaine once a week or every other week for $50 and shared it with Waibel.

Pozza said he also sold a half gram to Waibel once every other week during the same period.